I'm flinching as I post this. I'm very new to the forums and am sure I'm posting this in the wrong section. However, this is how I'll learn. I have a simple home network and would like to analyze the activity on that network. Where should I begin?

Do you want to do this in order to monitor for performance and usage reasons (if you don't have an unlimited internet plan); or are you more looking for keeping and eye on who's doing and saying what and where?

URL snooper will only capture the network activity of your computer.There are a few tools that might help you see other people's network activity, such as wireshark.

However, ultimately, your ability to do this depends on your network configuration. If all devices were connected to a hubw, all network packets will be flooded to all machines in the network (and thus your computer may get and listen to other people's packages). However, you most probably have a network routerw, which means you probably have a switchw, which sends the packets only to their correct destination. If so, then your best shot is looking in your router's configuration page to see if it has any way of getting a log of the traffic that goes through it, or installing a new firmware that allows you to do it (this might not be the best option, if you are not comfortable with doing it).

URL snooper will only capture the network activity of your computer.There are a few tools that might help you see other people's network activity, such as wireshark.

However, ultimately, your ability to do this depends on your network configuration. If all devices were connected to a hubw, all network packets will be flooded to all machines in the network (and thus your computer may get and listen to other people's packages). However, you most probably have a network routerw, which means you probably have a switchw, which sends the packets only to their correct destination. If so, then your best shot is looking in your router's configuration page to see if it has any way of getting a log of the traffic that goes through it, or installing a new firmware that allows you to do it (this might not be the best option, if you are not comfortable with doing it).

Fairpoint installed their all in one wireless router/modem this summer. I will get the model information today and do some research. Again, thanks to all for your help. Also, I'm not looking so much for free, but whether what I want is available here. I will be donating.